BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

park's big blue book of bike repair and the zinn books are good starting points

Thanks, Sounds like the Park book is the standard. I will order it up on Amazon now..

Park Tool online repair help is also helpful.

Sheldon Brown's website is also full of great info. I bought the Zinn book years ago and it's not bad, but have used online sources a lot more.

I am probably some sort of heretic, but I simply hate the Park Tool "big Blue Book." When I've really needed it, the info is too general for me. It was a waste of money.

I do almost all my own work, and I've come to rely on online (and free) sources rather than a specific book. Between the Park Tool and Sheldon Brown's sites, you have all the info you need.

Ditto what Rocco said (about the internet, not the Park Tool book, which I haven't seen). I've pretty much been able to figure everything out online - well, that and pestering Gerry Kraynick. Bicycletutor.com is pretty good for the basics, and they have videos, which I find to be very helpful.

+1 Sheldon Brown's website!

Well I did my first repair using the Big Blue Book. I have to say it is a bit general, but I would also say it gives more detail than the you tube vids that I have seen. One item on my to do list is to rebuild my fork, and the chapter on suspension is basically useless. All in all I am happy with the book. and for me its convenient to have a book with clear mappings to the tools that one uses. but those part tools sure are pricey..

Next repair I will use Sheldon Brown..

One benefit to the BBB is you only get crud on a $15 book instead of your shiny expensive computer...

for suspension components go to the manufacturer's site. they should have technical manuals you can download.

and todd thats what crappy old computers are for!

Old PC + old keyboard + piece of Saran Wrap = problem solved.

i'm a big fan of Lennard Zinn's "Zinn and the Art of Road/ Mountain Bike Maintenance." which unlike Robert Pirsig's book can actually help you fix your bike.